Sicily Archive

While Athens is widely considered the centre of the Ancient Greek world, for over two centuries Syracuse in eastern Sicily was an equal, if not more powerful and prosperous rival. In fact when the Athenian army was defeated in a botched invasion of Sicily in 415 BC, its

Arancini are stuffed rice balls, coated with breadcrumbs and fried. They are said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century and are now commonly featured on restaurant menus and cooked in homes. There are a number of local variants that differ in fillings from ragù

Legend has it that the Greek god Dionysus (known by the Romans as Bacchus), the god of the grape harvest, wine making and wine, brought pleasure to mankind and wine to Sicily. While the origins of the legend will never be known, the thousands of years on

Situated in the south-eastern corner of Sicily, Noto is famous for its Baroque architecture, and since 2002 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Noto is a plesant attractive little town with a historic centre that is composed almost entirely of crumbling Baroque palaces,

The Aeolian islands may be only around 20 miles off the north coast of Sicily but they offer visitors a holiday experience quite different from that on their big southern neighbour. While both share thousands of years of history, fresh seafood cuisine and regular pyrotechnic displays from their

Agritourism is a concept that remains something of an unknown to many holidaymakers – and it’s hardly surprising with so many different types of activities coming under this umbrella term. Some people might imagine waking up before dawn to help a farmer in milking his herd; others

The small but popular town of Scicli, (pronounced shi-cli) in the south-east of Sicily is certainly no stranger to fame. It is a short drive from its larger and better-known neighbour Ragusa, but shares with it a abundance of fabulous buildings that make a trip to the

One of the most historically cosmopolitan regions in Europe, Sicily is home to many culinary delights. Greek, Arab and Spanish influences have helped to shape the rich and varied cuisine on the largest of the Italian Islands; and it is from one of these influences that we

Mount Etna is erupting again and as this video shows, the pyrotechnic display put on by Europe’s most active volcano far surpasses anything you’ll ever see on Bonfire Night or New Year’s Eve: These eruptions, while a spectacular sight, are nothing unusual for Etna. Indeed this was

There are few sights in the world that can match the drama of an active volcano. Whether it’s spewing out a constant stream of lava or firing out red hot rocks at regular intervals, volcanoes have drawn tourists for many centuries, keen to observe nature at its